


Cheyenne Endgame

by NebraskaWildfire



Series: Red [13]
Category: Alias Smith and Jones
Genre: Gen, Post Amnesty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 08:55:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21491683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NebraskaWildfire/pseuds/NebraskaWildfire
Summary: Another of Heyes’ plans comes to fruition, in more ways than one.
Series: Red [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1500626
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	Cheyenne Endgame

Hannibal Heyes walked boldly into the meeting room of the Cheyenne Club, Kid Curry at his back, sixguns already drawn. Ignoring the angry and annoyed looks from the rich gentlemen gathered there, he held the door open for his wife, Alexandra Stanton Heyes, and the woman who was for all intents and purposes his sister-in-law, as well as the eldest daughter of the current senator from Wyoming, Elizabeth Warren Curry.

Alexandra Heyes stood tall and proud, glaring back at the assembled men, but she walked slowly and ponderously, as she was well into her ninth month. Bessie Curry hurried into the room, to help her, looking to her husband for some strength and confidence. The Kid was focused on the threat in front of them, so Bessie took a deep breath, put her arm through Red’s left, and proceeded into the room. She learned from the Kid never to attach herself to a gunman’s right arm. She figured that applied, even if the former outlaw was her sister-in-law, not her husband.

Behind the women came the former governor of Wyoming, Amos Barber, and Judge Horace Millburn. They did not have sixguns drawn, but their visages were stern, and the three men behind them did. Sheriff Lom Trevors, Wheat Carlson, and Kyle Murtry were taking no chances.

“What is the meaning of this armed assault?” one of the men glared at them. He did not seem afraid, as much as annoyed.

“Just a response in kind, I believe, Mr. Ralston.” Tuhy came up to stand beside the objecting man. The marshal’s gun was also out and he kept watch of the other men assembled behind him. This included the current governor of the state, John Eugene Osborne, who did not look overly happy. He was a foppish looking man, but a look in his eyes showed a core of something stronger.

“Is this something you have cooked up, Barber?” Osborne asked with a sneer. “It looks like you might have your own outlaw gang gathered there.”

“I doubt if a federal judge qualifies as an outlaw.” Barber looked back towards Millburn.

“Depends on your point of view,” Ralston continued.

“Elizabeth Warren, is that you among these … ruffians?” Obadiah Smith came up next to Ralston, as did Osborne, his eyes suddenly glittering, and exchanging a glance with Ralston.

“I believe ruffian may depend on your point of view also,” Bessie’s head was held high. “And my name is Bessie Warren Curry now, Mr. Smith, as you well know. You met my husband at the home of my dear friend, and your cousin, Magdalene Smith.”

Comprehension of the situation started to appear on the faces of some of the men gathered. Some still could not understand why such well-connected and well-dressed men were holding guns on them.

“Wheat, Kyle,” Heyes looked at his former gang members. “Can you search these men and relieve them of any firearms.” He turned back to the gathered group and smiled a wide, wickedly dimpled Hannibal Heyes smile. It did not however reach his eyes. They were still as obsidian. “Don’t want to end up with a fire fight here in such an opulent place.”

Heyes walked slowly towards Ralston, whose eyes widened as he finally realized who was approaching him. He turned towards Tuhy. “You told me the situation was all resolved. That Kendrick acted as expected.” He paused, realizing he should not implicate himself further. He looked towards Governor Osborne, as Tuhy relieved him of the small gun he had hidden in his suit jacket pocket. Osborne’s attention was riveted on Heyes as he approached, then looking past him towards Barber, and then Millburn.

“Yes, sir,” Tuhy regained Ralston’s attention. “Kendrick acted just like a no-account, gun-for-hire, bounty hunter. He kidnapped these two gentle women here.” The men looked towards Alexandra and Bessie, then looked away, as Alex’s pregnancy was more than obvious, and many if not all of them knew Senator Warren’s daughter.

“He then lured these two law abiding men,” Tuhy tried to continue.

“They are Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry!” Ralston yelled and the rest of the men in the room who had not yet grasped that fact suddenly realized they appeared to be surrounded by the Devil’s Hole Gang, as Wheat and Kyle finished depriving them of any hidden firearms, while Lom simply looked fierce. A few noticed the bright tin star on his jacket, and looked back towards Tuhy, who stood there with his marshal’s badge, waiting to continue his story. A few looked towards the doors, perhaps to find a means of escape from this increasingly precarious situation, but there were no exits that were not covered.

“Hannibal Heyes and Jedediah Curry were granted a full amnesty over two years ago,” Barber retorted.

“Because of behind the scenes dealing between you and Warren!” Osborne insisted. He looked with loathing at Bessie and then Alexandra. “I’m surprised you both aren’t about ready to pop, since you’ve both whored yourself out to these outlaws.” He looked back at Bessie. “Or did Daddy take care of that problem for you too, missy?”

The Kid looked about ready to launch himself onto Osborne, but Heyes held him back and Bessie came up to latch onto his left arm.

Heyes looked towards Tuhy, who took control of the situation again. “Like I said, Kendrick kidnapped these two women, intended to kill them, as well as their husbands.”

“I wanted Red Johnson back here alive,” Ralston insisted.

“As Kendrick himself told me before he died, you take a few steps over the line from being law abiding, it ain’t far to the chasm of lawlessness.”

“None of these four people have current warrants out for their arrest,” Judge Millburn interceded. “Holding them against their will was kidnapping and it sounds like attempted murder.”

“It sounds like Marshal Tuhy here would be responsible for that,” Governor Osborne started.

“Marshal Tuhy kept Kendrick from killing both Elizabeth Warren, as well as my wife, Alexandra,” Heyes broke in calmly. 

“And where is Kendrick, to confirm or deny this?” Ralston asked plaintively.

“He’s dead,” Tuhy said simply.

“Very convenient,” Osborne added.

“I was there too,” Lom interjected. “Sheriff Lom Trevors, for those of you who don’t know me.” There were several nods from men who had dealings with Lom in the past. “I can attest to Tuhy’s account of the shootout.”

“Kendrick was going to kill my husband!” Bessie came forward. “So I shot him.”

“Tuhy, I thought you said you killed him,” Osborne started, but the marshal interrupted him.

“Mrs. Curry only winged him,” Tuhy stated and looked over towards the Kid. “She aimed for a non-lethal shot, as I’m certain she was taught.” He paused until he had most everyone’s attention. “She shot him twice. Once in the shoulder and once in the elbow, and he was still trying to kill these women. This was the situation I saw when I arrived, so I pulled my gun on him. I did not aim for a non-lethal shot.”

“But what about Red Johnson?” Ralston started to point to Alexandra, but then hesitated, as she leaned heavily onto her husband, a stab of pain shattering her face. Heyes held her until it passed and then slowly led her towards a chair. All eyes in the room were suddenly on them.

“What about Red Johnson?” Millburn said sadly. “There has been no definite evidence or track of the Johansen brothers for years now. Let it go Ralston.”

“Harrison Quincy Vanderfield said,” Ralston started.

“What did ol’ Harry say?” Heyes laughed, but it came out brittle. “That my wife has red hair?” He made a show of shaking his head and looking down lovingly at her. “That he saw us together in Omaha?” Heyes’ eyes met Lom’s and then Tuhy’s. “We were never implicated in any of the Johansen robberies. In fact, we did currier work during that time for Sheriff Trevors and some of you, I believe, to keep some of the banks and railroads solvent.”

Heyes saw a nods among some of those gathered there. “All we want is to be left to live our lives.”

It was at this moment that a groan escaped Alexandra’s mouth and Heyes holstered his gun and crouched before her.

“Is it time?” he asked quietly.

She shook her head. “No, but your child doesn’t seem to understand that.”

Heyes gave the Kid a look, and scooped his wife up into his arms, he started out of the door. Curry turned to look back at the gathered men. 

“Just know this, if Mrs. Heyes loses this baby, or we lose Mrs. Heyes, because of all this insanity, we will hold you responsible. He turned to look at Bessie, who was just waiting on him, before she followed the Heyes couple out of the door.

“You got this Tuhy?” the Kid asked.

The marshal nodded and Governor Barber said, “Go, we can deal with them.”

Judge Millburn raised his voice, as the door closed behind Bessie and the Kid.

“I have sent telegraphs, as well as letters, to both the U.S. senator from our great state, as well as the U.S. Attorney General, with enough details of what happened here to put you all behind bars for a very long time.” He paused.

“If anything happens to either Heyes, or Curry, or their families, that prosecution will be started.”

“There are a lot of other folks who aren’t happy about Heyes and Curry,” Osborne started.

“Or the Johansens.” Ralston continued.

“Then you best talk to them, and convince them it would be best for all, just to let this go,” Tuhy stated. “What good will come of it all?” He smiled softly. “My Betsy would tell me to let it go.”

Jedediah Joshua Heyes was born later that evening, a bit thin and a bit small, but Heyes just smiled back at the very blue eyes of the infant he was holding, as Alexandra finally rested. He remembered another small, slight, blue eyed boy bearing the same name, who ended up as a very strong, very decent man.


End file.
